Sabitra Bhandari honored in her hometown, ‘Samba Chowk’ named after her

Sabitra Bhandari, the captain of Nepal’s national women’s football team, recently signed with New Zealand’s Wellington Phoenix club. But right now, she is back home in Nepal.

Her home is in Simpani Paamchowk, Marsyangdi Rural Municipality–9. To honor her, the rural municipality has named a place near Khudi bridge as “Samba Chowk” and placed a photo board of her there. This location lies along the world-famous Annapurna trekking route.

After playing in the Asian qualifiers in Bangladesh, Sabitra returned home and has been walking through the hills of Ghale Gaun near her village. On Thursday, she visited Samba Chowk, where students, farmers, and villagers came to take pictures with her.

People of all ages, from children to elderly, gathered around her. Some elders gave her blessings, and despite the rain, fans stayed under umbrellas to take pictures and videos with her.

Ishwori Maya Khatri, a 70-year-old woman who runs a small snack stall nearby, said Sabitra feels like her own daughter. “It’s been four years since I last saw her. She’s made Nepal proud,” she shared.

Guman Singh Bhandari, a relative, said many people rushed to take photos after hearing she had come back to the village. “Our daughter has made both our village and the country proud,” he said.

Tirtha Bahadur Basnet, principal of Amar Secondary School, where Sabitra once studied, said he feels proud to take a photo with his former student. “She is a product of our community,” he added.

The rural municipality declared the naming of “Samba Chowk” on Jestha 5 (19 May) while Sabitra was in France, preparing to play in the Gurkha Cup in the UK. After the UK tournament on May 25, she went to Thailand for a friendly match before returning to Nepal.

On Thursday, Sabitra was honored by the Marsyangdi Rural Municipality’s Youth and Sports Development Committee, Amar Secondary School, and other local organizations.

“The announcement of Samba Chowk in my name is something I feel proud of,” said Sabitra. “I still have a long way to go in football. I need everyone’s support to achieve more.”

She added that she wants to see more girls play football and that the government should help create a better environment for them. As part of the event, she also interacted with U-19 players and students from the area.

Sabitra said discipline, dedication, and determination are the keys to success. “I still want to go further. I want to see many more girls like me playing football,” she said.

She has played in leagues in Israel, India, Maldives, and more. Sabitra is one of Nepal’s highest goal scorers in women’s football history. According to Municipality Chair Arjun Gurung, her journey continues to inspire many across the country.